Classical Music | Violin Music

Recorded on 07/02/2014, uploaded on 11/25/2014

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Having resigned his post in Salzburg, Mozart, accompanied by his mother, set out in search of new employment. His journey, which started in September 1777 and lasted until January 1789, took him to Mannheim, Paris and Munich. During this time, he composed six sonatas for piano and violin that were later published in Paris in 1778. The set was likely inspired by a set of six sonatas for harpsichord and violin by the Dresden Kapellmeister Joseph Schuster that Mozart performed while in Mannheim. He described them as "not bad" and sent a copy of them home to his father and sister, as well as describing his intention to compose his own set of six sonatas in a similar style.

The next to last sonata of the set, the Violin Sonata in A major, K. 305, begins with one of the most outright jovial movements in all of Mozart's music for the instrument. A jaunty sonata form in compound meter, it opens with a theme based almost entirely on the notes of the tonic triad. The following secondary theme in E major is more lyrical and at times takes on a dance-like character. Turning the opening theme's descending triadic motion into an ascending surge, the development section moves abruptly into the key of E minor. Though the development passes through a few minor tonalities, it is not possible to say that it casts any dim shadows over the brilliant outer sections of the movement in A major. 

The finale is unique in being the only movement of the set of six sonatas to utilize variation form. The tempo slackens to an Andante tempo and nearly the entire movement passes by at an unhurried, graceful pace. The ten-measure melody, divided into two sections, is followed by six variations. The first variation, exceptionally, is given to the piano alone. The penultimate variation, Variation V, moves to the key of the tonic minor—a trait quite typical of the Classical theme with variations. The last variation returns to the major key and resumes the cheerful character and meter of the first movement.         Joseph DuBose

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Violin Sonata No. 22 in A Major, K. 305     Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Written in Mannheim en route to Paris when the composer was twenty-two, this sonata displays the violin and piano in a dialogue, an interaction that was less present in much of the composer’s earlier works for this instrument combination. The first movement, Allegro di Molto, is characterized by a lively and jubilant theme featuring a large amount of unison writing as well as thirds and sixths between the violin and the piano. The development section begins with an inversion of the theme, and, although short, is harmonically rich. The second movement is a theme and variations with a more subtly joyous theme. The first variation features the piano alone, joined by comments from the violin in the next and culminating in a spirited duo in the sixth and final variation.      Stella Chen

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.